Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-31
DECORATION DAY
Memorial Services at the
Different Cemeteries.
EXERCISES AT SAN FERNANDO,
The Parade and the Celebration at
the Grand Opera
House.


which will long linger in the minds OF
those who participated in its celebra-
tion, either as spectators or participants.
whether at the grave or at the exercises,
there was an earnestness observable
which indicated that those who lost
their lives in the conflict had not been
forgotten by their relatives or by their
comrades. Early in the morning the
members of the various posts assembled
at their halls and from there proceeded
laden with flowers and floral designs, to
the cemeteries where lie those who have
zone before. To Frank Bartlett
Post was assigned the duty of decorat.
ing Evergreen cemetery, whore there
are about forty graves OF honored CON-
rades. This post, together with the
ladies of the Woman's Relief Corps.
started for the cemetery about $3.50
O'Clock. Upon their arrival the flag
was unfurled to the breeze, and while
the veterans gathered around the floral
monument erected in honor of the un.
known dead, an old war flag was un-
furled at its peak. This monument,
which was about seven feet high, was
made of roses and was the work of Mrs.
Lizzie Roth. Special services were held
here, conducted by Major Butler, and
a. the comrades with hats removed
stood around the monument, the scene
was very impressive. The roll of the
dead buried at the cemetery was called
by Adjutant s. Kutz. Captain Skinner
then delivered the following address;
Commander, Comrades, Ladies and
Gentlemen of all the exercises of the
dsy the one that to me seems the most
solemn and impressive is this roll call
of the comrades who have passed on
before. Aud to this roll in very short
time each one Of our names must be
added. The Grand Army of the Repub.
lie to which we belong differs from any
and all other organizations in two OF
three important particulars. one Of
which is manifested on each returning
Memorial Day. We have among us
many fraternal societies, all doing their
good in this world, each in iti
own way-caring for the sick,
relieving their suffering, providing
good and suitable cemeteries fol
the burial of their dead, employing mer
whose entire business is TO see tina
the graves of their dead members are
kept green. This is well; it is as il
should be. But the Grand Army to-day
throughout the length and breadth o
the land as they decorate the graves O
their fallen comrades do not ask wheth
er the fallen were members of thii
organization or not, but they ask wer'
they members of that grand army which
saved the Republic in lS6l-65. Wer'
they loyal? When the country needed
men, did they prove themselves men
II so, then we honor their memory
Thus we see that the one central idea o
our Memorial Day is loyalty. TAX
that from it, and we have no nee
to observe the day at all. The riches
legacy which this country possesses to
day is the memory of these loyal men
whose hearts ceased to beat that tn
great heart of the nation might continu
to throb. The greatest wealth thi
country possesses to-day is not repre-
sented by the gold and silver piled up il
the vaults OF the capital; not in the grea
mineral resources, but in the myriads O
loyal hearts, from one end of the land t
the other, still beating to the music o
the Union, one and inseparable. As W
strew these fresh flowers and drop th'
silent tear upon the graves of our com
rades gone before, let us renew ou
pledges of loyalty. Having with then
proved ourloyalty to our country, lie
us continue to be loyal to country. t
principle, to each other. Thus may th
exercises of the day, while they homo
the memory of the dead, also be of valu
to the living.
Those present then visited the grave
and bedecked them with wreathes an
other floral designs, and paused at
floral grave erected by the Woman's RI
lief Corps in honor OF General Logan
This was covered with ivy aud tn
name ''Logan" was of white rosebuds.
OTHER CEMETERIES.
To Gelich Post was assigned the dut
of decorating the graves at The Catholi
cemetery, and at an early hour tn
members OF this post accompanied by
drum corps proceeded to the cemetery
where services were held, conducted b
K. N. Hamilton. These services wer
very impressive, and upon their conclu
sion the graves were loaded with fora
tributes, many of which were very hand
some.
Stanton Post visited the City GENE
terry and Rosedale, where special sci
vice was held at the grave of Conrad
Scoville, who died recently. There wer
twenty-five graves at the City cemeter
and three at Rosedale. and these wer
very hadsomely decorated. The service
were conducted by Captain Thornton
assisted by Chaplain w. K. Knighten.
Besides the flowers conveyed to tn
cemeteries by the comrades, large mum
ber of citizens also paid tribute to rela
tives who had gone before, and from tn
myriads of flowers deposited ON tn
graves, it seemed as if all the gardens O
the county had been denuded of thei
choicest blooms.
In addition to these the Woman's Re
lief Corps of the different Posts sent 6
carload of flowers to Arizona. The
Gelcich Post sent flowers to Flagstaff,
Stanton Post to Tombstone, and Frank
Bartlett Post to Prescott. The ladies
belonging to the latter corps sent floral
design three feet high especially for the
unknown dead. 1t was q huge Tyre,
composed of carnations. shaded from
maroon down to white. Besides this
they sent over 100 bouquets.
THE PROCESSION.
The procession formed at the intersec.
tion Of Main and First streets, and
promptly at the hour set it moved. The
streets at that time were lined with
those who desired to witness the pa.
rade. All along the line of march the
walks were so thickly packed with citi-
zens, ladies' and children that it was i'm
possible for travellers to pass through.
The line Of march was up Main street
to the Plaza, countermarch on Main TO
its junction with Spring, on Spring to
Fourth, to Main, to the Opera House.
The members of the different Posts
turned cut very largely and they made
quite an imposing appearance. The pro.
cession was headed by Grand Marshal
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